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Low CC16 concentrations correlate with accelerated lung function decline in adults

Low circulating concentrations of the anti-inflammatory protein CC16 is a predictor for accelerated lung function decline and incident COPD in adults, according to study results.

The researchers reported low concentrations of CC16 also predict deficits in lung function growth in children.

“That we found this association in people without COPD suggests that the relation between low CC16 concentration and decline in [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁)] is established before disease inception,” Stefano Guerra, MD, PhD, MPH, research associate professor of medicine at The University of Arizona, Tucson, and colleagues wrote.

Guerra and colleagues used data from the Tucson Epidemiological Study of Airway Obstructive Disease to assess the effects of CC16 concentration in 960 adults without COPD.

The researchers also tested for replication of results using data from three centers in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (n = 514) and the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults (n = 167).

To determine the effects of low concentrations, the researchers used data from the Tucson Children’s Respiratory Study (n = 438), the U.K. Manchester Asthma and Allergy Study (n = 481) and the Swedish Barn/children, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiological survey (n = 231).

After adjusting for confounders, the researchers reported an inverse link between CC16 and decline in FEV₁ in adults in the Tucson study (4.4 mL per year, P = .0014) as well as the European survey (2.4 mL per year, P = .023).

The researchers reported the lowest tertile of CC16 concentrations in children linked with a FEV₁ deficit of 68 mL up to 16 years of age (P = .0001).

The researchers also noted having no information on other physiological predictors of systemic CC16 concentrations such as glomerual filtration rate or diurnal variation.

The researchers stressed — because of the lack of information on other physiological predictors — more research is needed.

“Long-term studies that can control for such physiological factors and model serial CC16 measurements are needed to establish conclusively the potential of this molecule as a biomarker for prevention of treatment of COPD, whether in the general population or targeted subgroups,” the researchers wrote. – by Ryan McDonald

Disclosure: Guerra reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.